Who are the most intelligent U.S. presidents? Ask USA TODAY

Aug. 26, 2014
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Bill Clinton / Danny Johnston, AP

by USA TODAY

by USA TODAY

So if you had to name the smartest U.S. presidents, who would you pick? Bill Clinton comes to mind for some. So does John F. Kennedy. But the majority of U.S. presidents held the office long before IQ tests were invented (which wasn't until 1908).

So, how are presidents who came before Teddy Roosevelt (his presidency ended in 1909) included in the hunt for the smartest? According to USA TODAY reporter Elizabeth Weise, researchers kind of took the IQ tests for them by analyzing speeches and other bits of writing. Watch the rest of Weise's answer to this reader question in the video below to see who made the official list of the most intelligent U.S. presidents.

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